Today we have something special. I’ve been curious about Dongpo’s Pork for a while and this looks like it’d be a good one. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it –
Dongpo pork (traditional Chinese: 東坡肉; simplified Chinese: 东坡肉; pinyin: dōngpōròu) is a Hangzhou dish[1] which is made by pan-frying and then red cooking pork belly. The pork is cut thick, about 2 inches square, and should consist equally of fat and lean meat. The skin is left on. The mouthfeel is oily but not greasy and the dish is fragrant with wine. The dish is named after the famed Song Dynasty poet and gastronome Su Dongpo.[2]
Legend has it that during Su Dongpo‘s life of poverty during his banishment to Hangzhou, he improved on the traditional process. He first braised the pork, added huangjiu (yellow wine) to make red-braised pork, then slowly stewed it on low heat. In their scholarly work Chinese Gastronomy, Lin Hsiang Ju and Lin Tsuifeng give the recipe “The Fragrance of Pork: Tungpo Pork,” and remark that the “square of fat is named after Su Tungpo, the poet, for unknown reasons. Perhaps it is just because he would have liked it.”[3]
Dongpo Pork experienced three phases of popularity, from first appearance to mainstream appreciation. The history of the dish is said to parallel the experiences of Su Dongpo: from Xuzhou, a northern city of Jiangsu province, where Dongpo pork first appeared under the name of Huizeng pork; to Huangzhou, today Huanggang of Hubei province, where Su Dongpo finalized the method and recipe; and finally to Hangzhou, where Dongpo pork was officially named and became widely known across China.
Okay, anything that begins with ‘legend has it’ makes it immediately taste better. I mean come on – that’s instant fascination. Let’s check it out!
TTL Hua-Diao Dongpo Braised Pork Instant Noodle – Taiwan
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Contains pork. To prepare, Cook noodles in 500ml boiling water for 3 minutes. Add in all sachets. Finally, stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
A dry sachet.
Powder and herbs.
A paste sachet.
Oily with a strong onion scent.
A liquid sachet.
The hua-diao wine.
The retort pouch.
Stewed pork and sauce.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added scallion and a little fried onion. Noodles as usual have a soft character to them. The broth was a salty pork driven one which worked well with the noodle and with the Hua Diao wine. Included braised pork was of excellent quality and very flavorful. 4.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 4710110232678.
Taiwan TTL Hops Carved Chicken Instant Noodles 3 Bags Packed 台灣花雕雞泡麵3包組
Watch me cook on Instant Noodle Recipe time!
